Tag: Winchester Historic District

Friday Round Up: Clowser House, Guideline Updates, and More

Friday RoundupHappy Friday! It’s been a busy week at PHW, so here’s what we’ve been up to:

We have added five images from the Walk and Learn tour we hosted in conjunction with the Clowser Foundation at the Clowser House last Saturday to our Flickr account. Thank you to everyone who came out and saw the house and heard about the efforts so far to save it. The Clowser Foundation needs your support – they are still fundraising for their efforts to repair the back wall before June 2018. You can learn more about their organization at their website and Facebook page.

We had some good questions on the historic farming uses at the Clowser House. As we learned on Saturday, the Clowser family ran a mixed farm with wheat, corn, cattle, pigs, and other crops and livestock. Although not specific to the Clowser family, you can learn more about agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley before and during the Civil War at Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

In Winchester news, we know many people have been awaiting word on the overhaul of the Board of Architectural Review Guidelines. The revised document, which has been in the works for about a year and a half, was presented at the September 26 City Council work session. It appears very likely the new guidelines, which allow for some additional flexibility with non-traditional materials, will be adopted on Tuesday, October 10. You may review the agenda and packet through the city’s website.

In Holiday House Tour news, we still have spaces available for interior full page, half page, and business card ads. You can learn more on the sizes and benefits of the ads here. If you are interested in reserving a spot, please let us know at phwinc.org@gmail.com or by calling 540-667-3577 before October 31.

We also took a few moments this week to update our GuideStar profile and reach their Silver rating. This has also opened up a new donation option for us on the GuideStar webpage. You may use the donation link under our logo as an alternate way to make online donations to PHW. Thank you in advance!

Winchester’s National Register Expansion Approved

PHW received word today via the Virginia Department of Historic Resources that the National Parks Service has approved the expanded National Register Historic District. The application was approved at the state level in mid-September, 2015. Congratulations to the 395 buildings and objects which have received recognition as contributing historic structures!

Coming Next Week: PHW Lunch and Learn Lecture, Oct. 22

LecturesPlease join us on Thursday, October 22 for a two-part lecture “Expansion of the Winchester National Register Historic District” and “National Avenue Corridor Enhancement District” presented by Timothy Youmans, Director of Winchester City Planning and Zoning.

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2015
Time: Noon-1 p.m.
Location: June E. Jeffrey Education Center at OakCrest Companies, 126 N. Kent Street, Winchester, VA. The Education Center is at the upper parking lot, in the addition closest to the Winchester Star building.
Cost: The Lunch and Learn lectures are free and open to the public!
RSVPs: Appreciated but not required.

Parking: There is no off-street parking available at OakCrest. We recommend utilizing the George Washington Autopark at 131 N. Kent St.

Questions? phwi@verizon.net or 540-667-3577

Expanded Historic District Update

PHW has received word from the Department of Historic Resources that the proposed expanded National Register Historic District (including parts of Amherst Street/West Boscawen Street/South Stewart Street and Pall Mall Street from South Kent Street to South Washington Street) has passed the first hurdle at the state level and has been added to the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register. The application has been forwarded on to the national level, and a determination can be expected in about 45 days.

As noted, these expanded areas that were not previously subject to Board of Architectural Review will remain free of any additional oversight for exterior changes. The listing on the state and national registers only opens the door for state and federal historic tax credit opportunities. This also provides incentives for those properties, like Amherst Street, which were subject to review at the local level but not eligible for the historic tax credits.

Congratulations to the 395 resources recognized as contributing structures in this expanded historic district!

National Register Guide Videos

Confused about the National Register of Historic Places and what it means for you as a property owner, particularly since new areas of Winchester may be added to our existing National Register Historic District by this December?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has put together a series of videos with Jim Gabbert, a historian with the National Park Service, to create the National Register of Historic Places Guide on YouTube.

You may start the video playlist to watch all seven parts, or jump directly to the video that interests you. Most parts are about 2-3 minutes in length.

Part 1: Basics
Part 2: The Function of the National Register of Historic Places
Part 3: National Register Restrictions Explained
Part 4: Why Should I List a Property?
Part 5: Basics of the Nomination Form
Part 6: The Statement of Significance
Part 7: Establishing Significance

New installments are being released on Tuesdays, so check back with the National Trust on YouTube if you can’t get enough of learning about the National Register of Historic Places.

You may also wish to visit the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) website, which is Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Winchester is located in the Northern Region Preservation Office, which is based in Stephens City. The DHR staff directory may be accessed here.

Information on Winchester Historic Plaque #22

Fred Boyd House PHW received a call this morning requesting information on the house with historic plaque #22. I have been unable to return the call to the number provided in the message, but hope that the seeker may find this post. The home is in Garland Quarles’ book “The Story of One Hundred Old Homes in Winchester, Virginia.” The book is available at the Handley Library or at PHW’s office at 530 Amherst Street. Copies may also be available for purchase at Winchester Book Gallery and the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives at Handley Library.

The home is referred to as the Fred Boyd home. According the Quarles’ research it was built in 1827 by George Fulk or Folk. It was subsequently owned by Elizabeth D. Smith (1853-1861), John Vilwig (1862-1898), James P. Whitacre (1898-1910), and then to Frederick S. Boyd in 1910. The historic plaque appears to have been placed in 1972 by Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Pannill Jones.

If you were the person seeking this information, please feel free to give us an email at phwi@verizon or try to give us a call back at 540-667-3577. Thank you for your interest, and I hope we can connect!

Update: Mystery is solved and we have connected! The PHW landline phone is a bit spotty today, probably from the damp conditions.

Is My Property in the Historic District?

The Kent Building Winchester’s local Historic District (HW zoning) is quite large at over 1200 documented structures over approximately 45 city blocks. There is often confusion about what area the local Historic District covers and whether or not a property is subject to any oversight for exterior changes.

All properties within the local Historic District are subject to review by the Winchester Board of Architectural Review for exterior alterations. Refer to Article 14 of the Winchester Zoning Ordinance and the Design Guidelines for the Historic District. For questions and more information about BAR oversight and applications, direct your inquiries to the Winchester Planning and Zoning Department, which acts as the city staff for the BAR.

This may sound very complicated, overwhelming, and impossible for an individual to figure out what the requirements are and where to go for information. There are a few ways you can check the status of your property on your own, quickly and easily, to determine whether you are subject to BAR oversight:

How to Check the Winchester Historic District (HW Zoning) Status

If you are new to the area, you may not realize some of the ways you’ve seen other historic districts and protected properties marked are not the same in Winchester. Here are some ways you may expect to see a historic district marked that are NOT a reliable indicator in Winchester:

How NOT to Check the Winchester Historic District (HW Zoning) Status

  • Historic building plaques (The oval plaques in Winchester are recognition for buildings of significance within the district, but are an optional part of the local historic district and denote no other protections or restrictions.)
  • Street signage (Historic district boundaries are not fully marked by signage and such signs should be used as a guide only.)
  • Real Estate Assessment Search (HW zoning is NOT shown on the web assessment search.)

Do you have any further ideas to add to the list? Perhaps you’ve expected to be able to check local Historic District status in some other way you don’t see listed here. Please drop us a note at PHW and we will keep this post updated.

Winchester Little Theatre Plaque Splash

WLT Plaque Splash

The Winchester Little Theatre Board of Directors cordially invites you to join the media, members, volunteers, and distinguished guests to celebrate the installation of the Historic Designation Plaque from the City of Winchester. Come sip champagne, savor sweets and enjoy a fun, dynamic interactive afternoon while we await the arrival of the Restoration Ghost Train.

Date: Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014
Time: 3-5 p.m.
Place: Winchester Little Theatre, 315 W. Boscawen St.
RSVP regrets only to the Winchester Little Theatre 662-3331, ext. 2

Friday Photos: Piccadilly Street

West Piccadilly Street PHW is winding down our Friday Photos series for this year with another selection of images pulled from our slide collection. This selection highlights buildings along East and West Piccadilly Street, which includes such favorite structures as the Handley Library, the former Colonial Arts and Crafts building, and the CSX Train Station. Don’t miss the virtual tour of the commercial hub of East Piccadilly Street for a walk down memory lane (longtime residents will spot many familiar and beloved stores from days gone by).

View the full set on Flickr.

The Friday Photos posts will take a hiatus during the Holiday House Tour season, but will be returning in January 2014 with a special year-long series in conjunction with PHW’s 50th anniversary.